


You are the wilderness inside of me

by Tiofrean



Series: Do the next right thing or the next thing right [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Frottage, Human!Daryl, Knotting, M/M, Masturbation, Werewolf!Carl, a bit of angst, werewolf!rick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 09:44:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8619541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiofrean/pseuds/Tiofrean
Summary: Daryl had seen the wolf many times, lurking around in the forest or staying near his house in the middle of nowhere. The relationship they had was based on mutual respect and unvoiced trust. That is, until one day it all changed, and Daryl learned what had been keeping the wolf in the forest for so long... Or "That one fic where a broken wolf has found a mate in a hunter".





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misha/gifts).



> Unbetaed, so pin all mistakes on me. 
> 
> I wanted to write something with a werewolf!Rick for a change, the idea came to me while writing another fic, and I've never said no to a plot bunny. So I grabbed that bun and ran with it. I hope you'll enjoy <3 
> 
> Dedicated to Misha, cause that sweet girl loves magical creatures. Hope that brightens your day, hon! <3

The first time Daryl saw the wolf, it was barely past midnight. He was sitting outside his shack in the middle of the forest, working on a can of beer, trying to repair the water pump. The few goats he had were all mostly asleep somewhere near the house, tucked up together for warmth, even though it was the middle of the summer. He was almost finished with both, the beer and the pump, when he looked up and froze.

A pair of glowing eyes was staring at him from the treeline. The eyes watched him for a longer moment, and Daryl did a mental checklist of all the weapons he currently possessed in a heartbeat. A screwdriver lying next to his right foot and his knife sticking out of a log a yard away. He had something to defend himself with if needed be, though he was almost sure the creature didn’t mean to attack him. It just stood there, watching him intensely for some time, before it turned around and disappeared between the trees.  
  
Just before it did, a beam of moonlight fell on it, and Daryl could see the shape more clearly. It was an enormous wolf, as big as a tiger, fur glinting silver in the soft light.

 

__________

 

The next time Daryl saw the wolf, it was almost the end of September. The nights started to get chilly, and he was forced to spend less time outside. It had been a rainy day, which had turned into a rainy night, and when he stepped out on his porch to smoke a cigarette and make sure his goats were fine in a little shed he had built for them, he saw the creature again.

This time, the wolf was not hiding in the forest. It was sitting under one of Daryl’s backyard trees, looking as if it was trying to hide from the downpour as well. Daryl lit his cigarette and watched, curious. The wolf had never hurt him or any of his animals, even though Daryl had seen the evidence of his hunting when he had been out in the forest trying to find his own dinner.

But the wolf just sat there, looking back at him, not moving an inch. Daryl let his gaze travel over the gigantic animal, taking in the wet, thick fur covering his whole form, the ears moving a bit with every unexpected noise in the background, the paws bigger than Daryl’s palms. The wolf was a strong beast, so majestic and beautiful, even if deadly dangerous, and all Daryl felt for him was respect. He knew it was probably stupid not to be afraid of something that could eat him for a dinner, but he felt that it wouldn’t hurt him. If it wanted to, he would already be dead.

He finished his cigarette, casted one last glance at his goats, and walked into the house. The wolf was gone by morning.

 

__________

 

It was the middle of November when Daryl saw the wolf closer than ever before. He was skinning his last kill - a very fine deer - the chilly air making his work more difficult than it really was, and he huffed out in irritation when his hands started to feel numb from the cold wind blowing on them. He stood up and stretched, fishing his cigarettes out of his pocket and lighting one. He looked to the side on a hunch and there it was, sitting in the middle of the clearing his shed was built on, watching his every move with pale blue eyes. Daryl watched the wolf calmly as he smoked, trying to think on just how many times he had seen glimpses of him in the forest when he had gone out hunting. The wolf had never as much as growled at him, and Daryl felt strangely safe. He also had a growing suspicion that what he was watching just now wasn’t a wolf at all.

Not a _real_ one, anyway.

Daryl could still remember how his grandma had told him about werewolves, humans who changed into enormous animals. He suspected that must have been the case, for the creature was way too big to be a regular wolf. It also acted as if it was intelligent, not really attacking Daryl or his goats, lurking in the shadows but never trying to scare him away.

Daryl finished his cigarette and made a quick work of the rest of his task, leaving a good portion of meat still hanging on the bones. He looked at the wolf, then nodded his head in the direction of the remains.

He didn’t walk more than a few yards away, when he heard shuffling and some crunching noises. For the first time in god knows how long, Daryl’s mouth quirked up in a smile.

 

__________

 

By the time the winter had rolled in, Daryl had fallen into a strange arrangement with the wolf. Every kill he made, he would skin in the forest near his shack. He would leave some of the meat on the bones, letting the wolf eat it after he departed with his own portion. Daryl rarely saw the animal these days, but the ground was almost always licked clean by the next morning.

One day it had changed.

Daryl didn’t feel like hunting on this particular day, so he just stayed in his house. The snow had fallen sometime during the previous week, and he wasn’t really inclined to get all cold and wet. When he walked out to check on the goats - now living in a small hut he had put together - he was surprised to find the door open. Stepping quietly inside, Daryl froze when he saw the wolf standing just inside the hut, a small goat hanging dead and limp from the creature’s massive jaws. He recognized the goat immediately, it was the sick one he had tried to heal without much success.

Daryl casted one glance at the rest of his herd, bunched up together at the far wall, seemingly trying to get as far away from the wolf as they could. That little glance was long enough for the wolf to turn around and look at Daryl. There was something in its eyes that looked almost _apologetic_ about the dead billy he was holding, and to Daryl’s utter surprise, the next moment the wolf took a step in his direction and placed the goat at his feet.

Daryl shook his head and looked at the gigantic creature standing a mere yard away from him.  
“Nah” he said quietly, hoping that his assumptions were true and that the wolf would understand him. He knew the little goat didn’t have long before it would be dead anyway, so the wolf may as well have it. “Take it, ‘s yers” Daryl nodded his head at the goat and the wolf watched him silently for a moment. Then it grabbed the goat again and calmly walked out of the hut, passing Daryl on his way out, practically _brushing_ his massive form over Daryl’s hip.

Daryl sighed, following the wolf with his eyes until it disappeared in the forest, letting his gaze linger on the gigantic pawprints before he put out some food for the goats to coax them out of the corner of the hut. Once they looked a bit calmer, he closed the door and went back to his shack, opening a beer and trying not to think about the wolf.

 

__________

 

The next time Daryl saw the wolf, it was almost two weeks later. There was something different about its appearance, the fur was clamped together in some places, its eyes were a bit more wild than usually, and it stepped carefully to him, as if trying not to make a wrong move. Daryl almost huffed at that - he knew _he_ should be the one watching his steps around the beast. But the wolf was so careful it picked Daryl’s interest.

He walked down from his porch, the fresh snow crunching under his boots, and stepped closer to the animal. It watched him with wary gaze, but as Daryl approached, the wolf lay down and put his head on the ground, flattening the whole body against it. Daryl crouched and reached tentatively with one hand, trying not to spook it.  
“Hey, what’s wrong man?” Daryl asked in a low voice, threading his fingers through the thick fur gently. Of course the wolf didn’t answer him, but it made a soft whining noise at the back of its throat and closed those beautiful eyes, letting Daryl pet him.

“Ya hungry?” Daryl asked and then the eyes opened again and zeroed-in on him. The wolf stood up and backed away a few steps. Daryl watched him for a moment, marvelling at the wild beauty of the creature, before he saw the wolf turning and walking slowly to the forest. He had the feeling something was wrong, but he didn’t move from his spot until it paused and turned, looking at him as if asking something. It seemed as if the wolf was waiting for Daryl to follow him, so he did.

The walk took them about half an hour, and Daryl was surprised that the path wasn’t hidden. He could easily follow it tomorrow if he wished, so whatever was there, the wolf really wanted him to find it. They walked through the snow-covered forest for a while, until they reached a small clearing near a stream. The wolf walked to a huge fallen tree and sat down next to it, sticking its head underneath it and making that soft whining noise again. Daryl frowned and walked up to it, crouching down and reaching with his hand to push some of the branches away.

Daryl’s heart skipped a few bits when his eyes finally made out what was inside.

A small cub was lying inside the makeshift cave, its fur of a brownish-black color with irregular lighter patches. It was breathing heavily, and Daryl frowned, looking for the possible cause. His eyes widened when he finally made out one very odd patch on the pup’s hind leg. It was darker than the rest of its fur, and it looked dirty. He swallowed hard. _Blood_.

“That yer pup?” Daryl asked, his gaze flickering to the wolf for a moment. It looked so _sad_ that Daryl felt a pang somewhere deep in his gut. He knew he had to help somehow, he couldn’t just leave this little one to bleed out here. Besides, it was the middle of the winter, it was cold and damp all around, and having a small cub injured in the middle of it was not a good thing. He looked back at the pup, biting his lip, thinking hard on what he would have to do. The wolf hadn’t attacked him yet, but Daryl had a feeling it wouldn’t take Daryl touching his pup well.

“I can help… I can try, at least… but we have to take yer kid to my house” he said in a low voice, turning to the wolf and waiting for the reaction. It looked at him for a moment, then turned back to look at the cub. Just when Daryl was starting to wonder how the hell the wolf could even _answer_ him, it took a step back and sat down, watching him expectantly. Daryl sighed, taking off his jacket and getting on his knees, casting one last glance at the wolf to make sure they were on the same page, he put both hands under the pup and gently lifted it.

It made a small, high-pitched whine when Daryl took it out from under the bark, and started to struggle limply, yapping a bit in that way only hurt animals could do. He felt more than saw the wolf shifting next to him, but when Daryl looked at it briefly, it was still sitting in the same spot, even if its paws were thumping the ground in a panicked way.  
“Shh… ‘m not gonna hurt ya” he whispered to the scared animal, laying it out on his jacket and wrapping it as well as he could. For a cub it was quite big, but with such an enormous parent it wasn’t anything surprising. Daryl took it in his arms, feeling how it pushed its nose under his arm, and looked at the wolf.

“Come on” he said, following the beast when it started to lead the way back to his home.

 

__________

 

The trip back was a lot quicker, and soon, Daryl was stepping inside his house with the wolf following him. It had been growling and whining quietly for the whole trip there, worried eyes focused on the pup tucked safely in Daryl’s arms.

As soon as they got inside, Daryl went to the living room and put the cub down on his sofa, laying it gently and unwrapping it from his jacket. He marched to the kitchen, retrieving a box of medical supplies he had stashed there, before he went back. The wolf was nudging the pup softly with its big muzzle, nosing the fur around the small, baby ears. The little one didn’t wake up and the wolf looked sharply at Daryl, blue eyes almost glowing in the semi-darkness of the room around them.

Daryl walked to the couch, turning on the lights on his way there. He kneeled next to it, putting the whole box down near his feet, before he looked at the wolf.  
“I’ll need yer help” he stated, watching the wolf for any kind of sign that he’d been understood. The beast averted its gaze, looking down at the worn out carpet. “Hey… I know whatcha are” Daryl tried again. He needed an extra set of human hands to help the pup. Besides, there was no way he was going to do it if those massive jaws were less than a yard away from him. He knew that the wolf didn’t want to hurt him, but he wasn’t sure how it would react if Daryl made the little one whine in pain. And he was pretty sure that with the amount of blood, the wound must have been serious, and that the disinfectant would come into play.

The wolf just stood there for some time, towering over Daryl because of his position on his knees. Finally something changed, and the creature looked up at him. Daryl swallowed hard at the fear he saw reflected in its eyes and the way its ears shifted nervously.  
“I ain’t gonna hurt ya or yer pup, but ya have to help me” he repeated, hoping the wolf would relent. “It’s okay, ya just have to turn back.”

It took another long moment and a longing glance in the cub’s direction, but the wolf finally stepped back. It walked to the side of the couch and gave a long howl. Daryl watched, mesmerized, as the creature before him changed. The fur disappeared and the size of it shrinked with a sickening crunch of bones, and in the next second there was a man crouching on the floor of his living room. He was naked and trembling, the shivers wrecking his body making his overgrown curls dance in the air. Daryl thought he might have been cold, it was the middle of winter after all, so he moved to the side to snatch a blanket laying on the floor next to the coach. The movement had startled the man and his head snapped up, eyes boring into Daryl. _Blue, so blue._

“Hey, easy… not gonna hurt ya” Daryl repeated, taking the blanket slowly and giving it to the man. “What’s yer name?” He asked, watching as the man pulled the blanket over his naked body, wrapping it tightly around his waist.  
“Rick” came the answer, his voice raspy from the lack of use. Daryl was mesmerized by his raw beauty for a moment, overgrown beard and a pair of blue eyes even more beautiful than when they were staring at him from the wolf’s head.  
“I’m Daryl” he said, watching the man take the information in. Rick nodded, then looked to the side, his expression filled with pain.

“What do I do?” Rick asked, tugging the blanket even tighter around himself and shuffling closer on his knees.  
“We gotta clean the wound. What happened?”  
“Carl’s got shot” Rick stated, voice breaking a few times and Daryl wondered briefly if it was because of the lack of use or if the man was choking down on his emotions.  
“He’s yer son?” He asked, getting the supplies out of the box and laying them on the couch next to the pup. Rick only nodded at him, eyes never leaving Carl.

It took them almost an hour to dig the bullet out and clean the wound properly. Rick told him that because of their werewolf blood, Carl was still alive despite the infection. But he was still a child and he wasn’t as strong as a grown-up would be. Daryl listened intently, nodding along, wondering how the hell did someone as caring as this land himself with his son in the middle of nowhere. During a winter, nevertheless. They managed to shave the fur around the wound and disinfect it, before Daryl wrapped the leg in a clean bandage. Once Carl was covered in a clean towel and seemed to be sleeping peacefully, he turned to Rick.

The man was staring down at his hands, his _human_ hands, all covered in blood with a look of utter despair in his eyes.  
“Come on, let’s get ya sorted out” Daryl murmured, grabbing him gently by the elbow and leading him to the bathroom. He steered the man into the shower and made sure he would use it. He walked out once he saw Rick washing the blood off his hands.

Making a quick dinner wasn’t very difficult - Daryl heated up some stew from yesterday. Just as he was pouring a large bowl of it, Rick stepped into his kitchen, looking clean, still wrapped in the blanket. Daryl eyed him, trying to squish the butterflies eating away at his stomach. The man was half-wild, he had a beard to die for and the most brilliant blue eyes Daryl had ever seen. If he hadn’t been so desperately worried about his son, Daryl might have given in to the urge and kissed him senseless. But, as it was, Rick looked too miserable to even bring this thing up. Besides, Daryl’s train of thought surprised even _him_. He had always thought he didn’t need anyone like that…

Shaking his head to clear it a bit, Daryl nodded at the table.  
“Made ya a dinner” he said, turning around and grabbing a bowl for himself, too. He heard Rick step closer and sit down at the table, a small, breathed out ‘thank you’ following. Daryl poured his portion and sat down, noting with satisfaction that Rick was eating. He was skinny enough that Daryl could bet it was the first time in months that he had a normal meal.

“Don’t mean to pry, but how did ya end up ‘ere?” Daryl asked, once they were halfway-finished with the stew. Rick cringed, but answered him after a bit of silence.  
“Had a wife. She left me when Carl… changed” Rick stopped eating and was just absentmindedly swirling the spoon through the stew, pushing aside chunks of rabbit that were swimming in it. Daryl cursed silently.  
“It’s okay, ya don’t have to tell me” he offered, but Rick shook his head. He looked so sad that Daryl had a strange urge to just grab him and hold him close.

“She… She left and it was alright for some time… then the people from the town… they kicked us out” Rick continued, “we went to the forest. I thought we could make it… but the winter is harder than I thought it would be.”  
“No food” Daryl could tell that was the main issue. Rick had probably given Carl every last bit of food he had managed to hunt, until even the game had become scarce. Daryl still remembered vividly that one time when Rick came to his shed and killed one of the goats. _Good god_ … Now he knew why the wolf looked so apologetic. Rick _didn’t want to_ take Daryl’s meat, but there was no other way.

“Come on, ya need to eat” he prompted, watching as Rick sighed and went back to eating, finishing his portion quickly. “There’s more if ya want” he offered, but Rick shook his head.  
“I need to…” he looked in the direction of the living room and Daryl nodded.  
“I know. I’ll get ya some clothes. Make yerself at home, ya know where the fridge is” Daryl quickly finished up his portion, watching as Rick walked to the living room and crouched down next to the couch.

Once he was done, Daryl went to get Rick some clothes. He grabbed a spare pillow on a whim, taking it with him. Once he returned to the living room, Rick was sitting on the floor, his upper body turned so his side was against the couch, one hand resting on the pup’s head. Daryl swallowed hard as something warm started to grow in his abdomen. Rick’s fingers were threading through Carl’s fur so _softly_ anyone could tell the man loved his son.

Not wanting to startle him, Daryl purposefully made his steps heavier. He walked to the couch and gave Rick the clothes.  
“In case ya want somethin’ to wear” Rick thanked him again quietly, and Daryl saw genuine relief in his eyes when they turned to him.  
“He breathes easier” Rick told him, turning back to Carl. Daryl nodded.  
“He’s gonna be fine” Daryl hoped it would all end up well. “I brought ya a pillow, but if ya want a normal bed, I have a spare one in the room at the end of the corridor” Daryl told him, placing the pillow on the ground, next to Rick’s knees. Rick nodded at him again.  
“Thanks.”

 

__________

 

Rick watched his son sleep well into the night, worry eating at him from the inside. He shouldn’t have let things get so screwed up, but he had no choice. After Lori had left them, not able to stand her son changing into a wolf at different moments, things had only gotten worse. They had been chased away by people from the town, forced to look for peace and quiet in the forest. Rick regretted it every single day, but there was nothing else that could be done about that. So they lived in the middle of nowhere, minding their own business. It hadn’t been that bad, actually, up until Carl had been shot.

On that day, Rick had been reminded why they still needed civilization to survive. He had no means of helping his son other than trying to lick the wound clean and getting him food. But the wound had only gotten worse with time, and the game became scarce. And then, Daryl had given him his own food and Rick knew instantly that he had been the only person who could help his son. It wasn’t like he could change and walk back to the town, carrying Carl to the nearest vet. They would probably just put him down like any other badly sick animal. So he had gone to Daryl for help.

And now they were here. Carl safe and getting better already, the sickly sweet smell of fever not as potent as it had been a few hours before. He was warm under the covers, made even warmer by Rick’s wolf form heating him up. He was breathing easier, and Rick huffed out in relief when he realized that they were both _alright_ here. Daryl’s house was cozy and _warm_ , and Rick found himself wishing he could stay here with his son. And with _Daryl_.

Rick’s head perked up when he heard a small sound coming from somewhere down the hallway. He knew it could only be Daryl making it, and it seemed like it was a pained grunt. Rick listened carefully. It happened again, much quieter this time, as if muffled by something. Rick’s eyes narrowed. If Daryl was in pain, Rick wanted to help him if he could. There was no way of repaying what he had done for him and Carl, but Rick had to at least try. Looking down at his pup, sleeping soundly next to him, Rick made up his mind. He stood up carefully and got down from the couch, grabbing the covers gently with his teeth and tucking his son in carefully. Rick glanced at Carl one more time, making sure he was not waking up, and padded softly into the hallway.

The noises were more frequent there, more audible. Of course, for anyone else, the house would be silent, but Rick had an excellent hearing, especially when he was in his wolf form. He turned his head to the source, facing a slightly opened door. Pushing it with his nose, he slipped his head inside, looking around. It was Daryl’s bedroom and the owner was lying on the king-size bed. The little grunts and half-broken moans were still coming to Rick’s ears as they flicked in the night to hear them better, but there was also something else entirely.

Rick inhaled deeply, cocking his head up, scenting the air. The smell of _want_ and _sex_ hit him like a train, and he took a step back, eyes snapping to the man laid out between the blankets. Rick watched him for a moment, mesmerized at his beauty. Daryl had his hand wrapped around his cock, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth, as he worked himself in long, slow strokes. Rick could feel the desire coursing through his own body in hot little waves, the shivers crashing down his spine in sparks of electricity.

And then Daryl turned his head to the side and _looked_ at him, and Rick felt the almost magnetic pull that steered him inside the room. He padded over to the bed carefully, slowly, not wanting to scare the man. Once he was close enough, Daryl reached with one hand, the one that was not currently busy with his cock. Rick pushed his head into his warm palm, nuzzling it as he stepped even closer. He looked at Daryl once, trying to assess whether what he wanted to do was alright, but Daryl didn’t look scared. If anything, he looked curious. And _turned on_.

Rick lowered his head, sniffing to get more of that overwhelming scent that was so filled with _want_ , following it to Daryl’s cock. The hand wrapped around it twitched when Rick nosed it with his gigantic muzzle, but other than that, Daryl didn’t move. He didn’t protest in any way, so Rick licked a broad stripe over his knuckles, closing his eyes when he tasted Daryl’s precome. It was so masculine and yet so sweet in that human way, the smell of it laced with passion and lust, and Rick couldn’t help himself when he licked again, dragging his tongue all the way from Daryl’s balls, up over his fingers and higher, to the head of his cock that was peeking out from the loose fist wrapped around it.

Daryl groaned, unwrapping his hand from around himself and fisting it in the blanket at his side, giving Rick space to do whatever he wanted. And Rick didn’t waste the invitation. He started to lick all over Daryl’s groin, occasionally dipping his mouth lower to lap at his perineum. Daryl started to moan and groan louder, and the lower Rick licked, the more urgent did the sounds get. Soon, he was writhing on the bed, pushing his hips up into Rick’s mouth, cursing up a blue streak whenever Rick managed to do something right.

It was as arousing as it was wild, and Rick couldn’t help but notice just how well he felt with Daryl like this. But, as good as it was, there was something missing. Sure, Rick was slowly getting drunk on the man’s taste, but Daryl was not touching him back the way Rick wanted. There was a hand threading through his fur, but it was too careful, as if Daryl was afraid of yanking at it a bit harder. Rick detached himself from Daryl’s cock, giving it one last lick, and looked up. Daryl had his eyes opened, watching him with an intense gaze. Rick climbed over him, licking his way up Daryl’s chest, only now taking in the obvious difference in size between them. Daryl, a man who was by no means small, all bulging muscles and wide shoulders, looked so _small_ under Rick's gigantic, wolf body, it almost made Rick back away. For a moment he was afraid he would crush him under his own weight. But Daryl still had one hand just behind Rick’s ear, his strong fingers brushing through Rick’s soft fur, making him tingle all over, and Rick couldn’t help himself.

With a low whine he transformed himself back into his human form, wincing when pain lit up his whole body. God, he had forgotten just how much the bones reshaping themselves actually fucking _hurt_. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through it not to howl loudly, and the next thing he knew, Daryl was holding him, tugging him closer, wrapping one strong arm around Rick’s back and keeping him in place. Daryl’s other hand was still placed on Rick’s head, now threading through his overgrown curls, tugging at them gently with every pass. It made Rick’s whole body tingle and he groaned into Daryl’s neck, opening his mouth and panting against his sensitive skin, feeling Daryl arch up beneath him when Rick scratched him with his beard.

The moment their cocks rubbed against each other left them both shivering, their bodies kick-starting on what they had been doing. Rick lifted himself up on his arms, looking down at Daryl, taking in every little gasp of pleasure that escaped him. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen, and he couldn’t get enough of it, so he rolled his hips into Daryl’s, drawing a sharp moan from him, delighting in it. On the next thrust, Daryl’s hips jerked up to meet him, and they fell into an easy rhythm, working together to draw as much pleasure as they could from their bodies.

Rick could feel his knot forming at the base of his cock, the sensations enough to made it swell and become noticeable. He wouldn’t try to get inside Daryl like that, not before he was absolutely sure it would be okay to do it, but he could rub himself all over the man. And so, on the next thrust, Rick angled his hips a bit, dragging his cock from Daryl’s hole to his leaking head. Daryl’s eyes snapped open when the bulge at the base of Rick’s cock brushed over his opening.  
“What…?” He whispered, wide eyes looking down between them. Rick groaned, rubbing against him again, just with the right amount of pressure to make his knot swell more.  
“My knot” he panted out, trying hard not to roll his eyes at the little sparks of pleasure that started to travel down his spine. Daryl sneaked one hand between them, wrapping it around Rick’s shaft and tightening it, curious fingers feeling around the widest part. And then Daryl licked his lips and _squeezed_ around him, making Rick growl low in his throat, hips jumping, fucking into Daryl’s fist. _It had been way too long and it felt too damn good._

Daryl like this, curious, with small, needy noises escaping him with every instinctual thrust of Rick’s hips, made strange things to Rick’s mind. He buried his face in Daryl’s neck again, licking all over it, laying small biting kisses over the straining tendons, listening to Daryl’s whimpers. On a whim, Rick bent further down, lapping at Daryl’s skin, biting and sucking at one of his nipples when he got there. Daryl’s fingers flexed in Rick’s hair and he gave a long, stuttered out moan, and Rick grinned, taking Daryl’s arm in a tight grip and yanking it away, licking his way over Daryl’s side.

When his tongue traveled into Daryl’s armpit, drinking in the man’s scent, Daryl huffed out a startled laugh, pulling his arm free from Rick’s grasp and hooking it around Rick’s chest, tugging him back up. And then, there was a leg wrapped around Rick’s waist and a quick movement, and suddenly, he was on his back with Daryl straddling him. Rick looked up and smiled. Daryl smiled back and dove down for a kiss, a sweet little peck on Rick’s lips, before Rick growled and sneaked one hand into Daryl’s hair, keeping him in place as he deepened the kiss hungrily. Daryl could only moan at that, the sound swallowed by Rick’s mouth, as he started to rock on top of him. Small, short moves, the pressure between them increasing until it crested.

Rick came first, a long howl torn from his throat as he shook under Daryl. Rick grabbed him around the waist, helping him to tumble over the edge, too, thrusting his hips up until it was too much. Daryl came shortly after, the possessive grip Rick had on him only fueling his arousal, and he cursed loudly on a moan, feeling his release join Rick’s between their sweaty abdomens. He collapsed on top of Rick, panting and utterly spent, feeling boneless in the best of ways. Rick cradled him close, not seeming to mind Daryl’s weight on him at all.

It took them a while to calm down their breathing, and when they finally did, they separated only long enough to clean the come smeared all over their bellies with one corner of the blanket. There was no way any of them would go to take a shower now, so they snuggled up together after the half-assed clean-up and fell asleep.

 

__________

 

The next morning was a lazy affair, and Daryl was surprised just by how lazy it really was. Thinking back on it, he should probably be more concerned about having a stranger in his bed. But, he reckoned, Rick wasn’t really a stranger anymore. He had seen the man, _the wolf_ , more times than he could count. Daryl didn’t really know where this strange feeling of certainty was coming from, but in that moment he was sure Rick would never hurt him. Maybe it was the fact that, had Rick had some wicked plans, he would have been dead by now - Daryl was strong, but he was no match for the strength of an enormous wolf.

The same wolf that was now sleeping peacefully behind him, his human form pressed to Daryl’s back, snoring quietly with a deep rumble in his throat. Daryl turned around carefully, noting how the arms wrapped around him shifted minutely, twitching and rearranging their hold. Daryl settled back down and smiled, seeing Rick still asleep, face relaxed and so beautiful. Sure, there were dark shadows under his eyes, the beard was long and unkempt, and his hair was disheveled from sleep, wild curls sticking in every direction. But he was still so beautiful, Daryl felt the urge to kiss him awake. After a brief struggle with himself, he did just that, leaning in and pressing his lips to Rick’s in a lazy kiss.

Rick responded after a moment, blinking his bleary eyes open and leaning back a bit, making Daryl smirk.  
“Mornin” Daryl whispered, diving back in and taking hold of Rick’s bottom lip, sucking it in and nibbling on it, delighting in the quiet groan that it provoked. Rick’s arms pulled him even closer as he opened his mouth to let Daryl do whatever he pleased. The quiet enthusiasm in Rick’s reception fueled Daryl up and soon, he was thrusting his hips forward, grinding his morning erection into Rick, feeling Rick’s cock hardening between them.

“Wait…” Rick whispered, once they broke away to gasp in a few rushed breaths. Daryl hummed distractedly, trying to keep on kissing him, but Rick stopped him with hands holding his hips firmly in place.  
“What?” Daryl narrowed his eyes, licking his lips hungrily. This man was intoxicating, wild and strong, with a soft and careful side to him that made Daryl want to just keep being with him, as close as possible.  
“I want to know how far do you want to go with this…?” Rick asked, gaze slipping to Daryl’s mouth briefly. Daryl frowned, hard - was Rick asking him about _relationship stuff_ now? Couldn’t they at least wait till the proper ‘good morning’ was over? Daryl knew he was shit with words and he was half afraid he would start babbling like an idiot and put Rick off.

“What? Ya wanna discuss wedding right now?” He asked back, barely stopping himself from snarling at Rick. Thankfully, Rick only shook his head with a small huff of laughter that instantly put Daryl at ease.  
“A bit later, perhaps. I was thinking about _this_ ” saying that, Rick ground his hips forward, bringing Daryl’s thoughts back on the right track. He swallowed heavily, feeling the hardness pressing into his hipbone.  
“Whadda ya have in mind?” Daryl asked on a whisper. Rick grinned, rolling over on top of him, slotting himself between Daryl’s thighs, the blanket they were wrapped in getting trapped between them. He lowered his face to Daryl’s shoulder, licking a broad stripe from his collarbone up to his ear, making Daryl squirm in place.

“ _I want to fuck you_ ” Rick’s voice was an honest to god _growl_ , vibrating all through Daryl’s body and ending in his cock, little sparks of pleasure making him throb with a dull ache. He bucked his hips up, meeting Rick’s abdomen, rubbing against it, a moan escaping him.  
“What’s stoppin’ ya?” Daryl watched as Rick looked down at him, somehow deflated for a moment.  
“My knot” he looked between them to where their hips were pressed together, before he gazed back at Daryl.  
“What about it?”  
“Not… everyone likes... _how it feels_ ” Rick licked his lips _again_ , and Daryl had a brief second of consciousness when he remembered that Rick was, in fact, a huge and powerful predator under this human skin.  
“Yeah? And how does it feel?” He asked cheekily, knowing he was toeing a very thin line.  
“Big” Rick answered, leaning to lick and nibble at his ear. “It gets bigger when I come, will lock us together…”

Daryl’s eyes widened a bit and he felt heat pooling in the pit of his stomach. He _wanted_ that.  
“Come on. Stop talking, start _doing_ ” he rasped, delighting in the growl it earned him. Rick started to kiss and suck on his neck, biting it gently and rolling the skin between his teeth, before he disengaged himself and looked at Daryl with piercing eyes.  
“You sure?” He asked, obviously trying to keep his voice calm, but it came out strained anyway. Daryl could see just how fiery his eyes were, how much he wanted to do it, yet was scared of something. Daryl decided that he needed to act, before that wonderful mood they were in was helplessly lost. He sneaked one hand down, maneuvering between the blanket and Rick’s body, until he could wrap it around Rick’s cock. It was hard and leaking, hot in his grasp, and Rick’s breathing hitched in his throat when Daryl located the slight bulge on the base of it and squeezed lightly.

“What are you scared of?” Daryl whispered and Rick had to close his eyes, forcing his hips into stillness when his body started to rock into the tight fist on instinct. He was afraid of hurting Daryl, of scaring him away when he had just truly found him. The hunter was the one person that wasn’t scared of Rick and now, when Rick was in his house, lying in his _bed_ , a nest of blankets and pillows that made his wolfish brain think of _mating_ , he was scared shitless of losing it over something so insignificant. But Daryl was there, and he wanted Rick so much Rick could _smell_ it on him, and so Rick forced himself to speak. It wasn’t easy, not when his voice shook as memories of his failed marriage flooded him, taunting and mocking.

“Lori… my wife… she didn’t like it…” he trailed off, trying to find the right words, but none came. Then, Daryl’s hand, so gentle even if it was roughened up by his lifestyle, touched his cheek softly, making him open his eyes and focus on the man laid out under him.  
“Hey. We won’t know till we try” Daryl whispered. “I’m not yer wife, and I ain’t easily scared. And right now I want to feel ya. _All of ya_ ” with that, Daryl squeezed his fingers again, and Rick couldn’t help the soft whine that escaped him. His hips shifted into Daryl’s hand on their own accord and he let his head fall down on Daryl’s shoulder, breathing heavily.

“Come on” Daryl nudged him and Rick leaned up and kissed him. It was sloppy, the emotions swirling through him making him uncoordinated, but Daryl didn’t seem to mind. He hummed into Rick’s mouth, opening his lips and letting himself be ravished, rutting up into Rick’s body.  
“You have anything we can use?” Rick asked between nips, dragging his hands down Daryl’s body and finally, _finally_ , getting rid of that blanket bunched up between them. Daryl nodded hastily and reached around, opening the drawer in his bedside table blindly. He rummaged through it, producing a small bottle of baby oil. Rick broke the kiss only long enough to snatch it from him and pour it all over his fingers. Then, his hand traveled lower, and Daryl watched it disappear between them, fingers shiny with oil. The anticipation was almost as good as the kiss they shared, but it was nothing compared to the feeling that encompassed him, when Rick finally pressed his fingertips to Daryl’s hole.

He started rubbing it gently, his impatience betrayed only in the jerky nature of his moves, circling and nudging at the tight opening, massaging it insistently. It was so careful, even if each tiny touch was making Daryl’s hips buck, body chasing the sensation, that Daryl only wanted more. He looked down, threading his own fingers through Rick’s curls, combing the wild mane and tearing a purring sound out of Rick’s throat. He gasped when one of the fingers finally breached him, trying not to tense up when Rick slid it all the way inside. But Rick lowered his head, letting his tongue play on Daryl’s chest, wetting the heated skin, cooling it, and leaving Daryl shivering and sufficiently distracted to let his finger move inside him.

It had been a long time since Daryl had been with anyone, and it had been even a longer time since he had let anyone fuck him. He was a bit rusty, but it all came down to him now, how to relax, how to make his body work with him rather than against him, and with Rick’s lips attached to his nipple, Daryl started to rock back on his finger, letting Rick know just how much he wanted it. Rick, however, was dead set on making him squirm, or at least it seemed so. The progress from one to three fingers was sloppy and unhurried, leaving Daryl breathless and gasping, muscles twitching from pure need. Just when he was ready to roll them over and fucking _ride_ Rick until he got what he wanted - an idea that made his cock throb against his stomach - Rick finally withdrew his fingers and climbed up his body, hovering over Daryl and kissing him passionately.

That was about as much as Daryl could stand and, reaching blindly and on instinct, he grabbed Rick’s cock and lined them up, pushing down with his hips until the head slid in. Rick growled, breaking the kiss. His eyes fell closed and his back arched, throat suddenly bared for Daryl, an invitation he couldn’t resist taking. He leaned up, licking and sucking at the sensitive skin, feeling the scratch of beard on his cheek when he managed to angle his head just right. Rick moaned, finally letting his instincts take over, pressing into him. He stopped only when he was fully in, his hard length hot and heavy inside Daryl, pulsing in sync with the rapid heartbeat the hunter could feel on his tongue. On a whim, Daryl let his lips travel lower, mouthing at the slope of Rick’s shoulder, feeling the man withdraw from him and push back inside. Rick was still so gentle, _so fucking gentle_ … Daryl was sure he was still afraid of hurting him. But the knot wasn’t that big for now, it was barely there, and Daryl was slowly burning to ashes under him, so on the next slide out, he opened his mouth and _bit Rick on the shoulder_ , not hard enough to break the skin, but just with the right amount of pressure to kick Rick into action.

Rick howled above him, hips bucking reflexively as he fucked into Daryl in one sharp thrust. His body bowed back, held in place by Daryl’s teeth still clamped on his flesh.  
“Fuck!” Rick grated, voice rough and animalistic, reminding Daryl of the beast that was currently settled between his thighs. A beast he let himself be vulnerable with. A _man_ who was just as vulnerable, stripped down to his bones, picking up the pace of his moves and thrusting into Daryl’s welcoming heat. It was pure bliss, feeling Rick enter him time after time, speed increasing, pushing Daryl closer to the edge.  
“Fuck me harder… _fuck…_ I ain’t gonna… _break_ ” Daryl choked out between thrusts. Rick looked down at him then, opening his mouth and taking a deep breath as if he was trying to say something, but Daryl shut him up with a quick kiss. “I want it” he grunted out, his own hips meeting Rick’s move for move.

Now that Daryl had the taste of the wilderness that was kept at bay inside Rick, he didn’t want slow and gentle. Rick ignited something in him, something that had been laying dormant till now, and Daryl wanted it to wake up and come out to play. And so, on the next thrust, he scratched his nails all the way down Rick’s back, making him hiss and causing his hips to stutter in their rhythm. Rick looked down at him with a growl, licking his lips and Daryl froze for a second.

Rick’s eyes shifted back to that pale, glowing blue he had as a wolf, and suddenly, Daryl was aware that the hands holding his hips were clawed, the sharp points digging into the soft skin, undoubtedly leaving marks. _First marks he actually wanted on his skin_. Daryl wanted to tell Rick just that, however, the only sounds he was capable of producing seemed to be incoherent grunts and moans, so he tried to convey it all in his gaze, staring deeply into Rick’s eyes. Something changed behind those pale blues, and Rick pulled out, pulling away.  
“Turn around” he whispered, voice as wrecked as Daryl felt. The hunter complied quickly, getting on his hands and knees, not bothered by the scars that were etched deeply into his back. If Rick had anything to say about his souvenir from the past, he didn’t show it. He rammed right back into Daryl, shoving in to the hilt, moaning at Daryl’s whined-out curse.

Something was different this time, Daryl felt _fuller_ and the thrusts weren’t as fluent as before. The thought of Rick’s knot drifted through his mind, but it was quickly lost in the pleasure coursing through him. The angle and the fullness were _just right_ to press on his sweet spot on every move, and soon, he was whining incoherently into his pillow, pressing his ass back, closing the loop of push-pull-push-pull-push-pull… And with every move, with every small sound coming from Rick, as feverish as his body was now, Daryl could tell he was getting close. And then Rick’s mouth was at Daryl’s ear, licking and nibbling it..  
“I can… _fuck_ , I can pull out… _Jesus_ , Daryl, _don’t-let-me-hurt-you_ ” the last words merged into one long moan, and Daryl found that he couldn’t give a _flying fuck_.  
“Don’t you dare to pull out” he gasped, opening his eyes when Rick’s brutal pace started to get erratic.

A few more thrusts and Rick was coming inside him, biting at Daryl’s shoulder hard enough to actually hurt, but Daryl didn’t mind the pain, not when Rick growled and whined above him, not when the feeling of _fullness_ increased, until they couldn’t move anymore. Rick’s knot swelled inside him, pressing at his prostate without mercy, and the next thing Daryl knew, he was coming with a keen, trying to stop his hips from bucking into empty air. His cock pulsed and twitched between his legs, spurting come onto the sheets beneath them, every little rock of his body making the hard knot grind into his sweet spot even more, milking the pleasure out of his body.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like this, aftershocks running through them until their bodies decided they had enough and simply collapsed. Rick had enough mindpower left to tug them to the side before they landed in a heap of Daryl’s come. He turned them both on their sides and Daryl whined when even the smallest of their movements shifted the hard dick that was still plunged deep inside him, forcing Daryl’s body to jolt with oversensitivity. He heard Rick’s breath hitching and both of his arms wrapped around Daryl’s middle, keeping him securely in place. Rick’s whole body was twitching uncontrollably and Daryl frowned, trying to turn around as much as it was possible. It caused his muscles to clench up, Rick gave an honest to god _mewl_ , and Daryl froze. Rick’s whole body shook and Daryl could feel how his hands spasmed where they were tucked around Daryl’s waist. His eyes widened.

“Did ya just…” he started and he didn’t even need to finish the sentence, before Rick was nodding behind him, his beard scraping at the pillow with a faint rustle. The idea of making Rick come _again_ just like that sent heat pooling down Daryl’s stomach and he could swear that, had he been ten years younger, he would get hard again just from that simple fact. As it was, he was tired and still swimming in that post-orgasm fuzziness, so he lay down, trying to get comfortable. As soon as he shifted a bit, trying to decide which position was the best to put his head in, just so he could still be pressed against Rick with his whole back, Rick’s hands shot to his hips. Daryl looked down at them, taking in how they held him in place, decidedly human fingers digging into the skin.

“ _Don’t pull away_ ” Rick whispered and there was that strange quality to his voice again, one that tugged at Daryl’s heart and made him wrap his own hands over Rick’s wrists, squeezing gently.  
“I won’t” he stated back just as quietly, but Rick only seemed to strengthen his hold. “It’s okay, I won’t…”  
“Don’t want to hurt you” Rick mumbled against his skin, voice so low Daryl had to still his breathing to hear him.  
“Yer not, ‘s fine” Daryl told him, reaching back with one hand to where he thought Rick’s head was, missing it only by a few inches. The mop of curly hair pushed into his palm and he threaded his fingers through it soothingly, listening intently to what the man was still mumbling against his skin.  
“ _...didn’t want to… she panicked… don’t want to… not you…_ ” Daryl frowned hard. He grabbed Rick’s hair and tugged.  
“Come ‘ere” he gruffed out, twisting around and steering Rick to look at him over Daryl’s shoulder.

He leaned into him a bit, knowing that Rick would get the message and sure enough, Rick dove in for a kiss, even if it was a bit hesitant at first. It was sweet and delicate, gentle like the first rays of sunshine that were falling through the window and basking them in a soft glow.

They fell asleep again, still locked together, only to be woken up by a soft knocking on the door. Rick sat up immediately, watching the door with a mix of panic and curiosity in his eyes. Daryl grunted and turned around confused, closing his eyes in relief when he heard a voice on the other side.  
“Dad?”  
Daryl could swear that Rick’s smile could outshine the sun in that very moment. Not that he minded, he was wearing a matching one, genuinely happy for the first time he could remember.


End file.
